MERCAZ USA Newsletter — Summer 2007

President's Column — Dr. Stephen S. Wolnek

president As I am preparing this column, the Jewish People in Israel and throughout the world are getting ready to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day. This year's celebration starts on Monday evening April 23rd, postponed one day so as to avoid having Yom HaZikaron, Israel Remembrance Day, with its public ceremonies of mourning and reflection fall on Saturday night as we conclude the joyous celebration of Shabbat.

On this Yom HaAtzmaut, we mark fifty-nine years of Israeli independence. More importantly, we begin the twelve-month countdown to that significant milestone of modern Jewish history, which will take place next year: the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Jewish State.

I am pleased to report that the Conservative Movement, through the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism, has formally made the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel a movement-wide priority and has designated MERCAZ USA as the lead organization to organize and coordinate, together with the other arms of the Conservative Movement, a year's worth of activities and programs to celebrate this special event.

To this end, a special website is being set-up, www.israelanniversary.org, which will contain such resources as a movement-wide calendar of special events to mark Israel's 60th anniversary, information about special missions to Israel that are being organized and downloadable pdf files of program materials for study and celebration.

The new website will not only link to websites containing material relevant to the 60th anniversary celebration but also cover the other important milestones that are being celebrated during this year, including the 40th anniversary of the Reunification of Jerusalem (May 2007), the 110th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress (August 2007) and the 90th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration and 60th anniversary of the UN Partition Plan (November 2007).

For example, MERCAZ Olami, our international affiliate, has produced a wonderful creative service to mark this year's special Yom Yerushalayim celebration. To access the material, visit www.masortiworld.org and click on the banner for Yom Yerushalayim on the home page.

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